Darkly Dreaming Damon
by Cricketsong.1985
Summary: Post Season 2. Stefan has joined Klaus, who has promised to return for Elena's blood. Damon is determined to protect her and capture her heart in the process, but can Elena ever love ALL of him?
1. Chapter One

**Summary – Post Season 2. Stefan has joined Klaus, who has promised to return for Elena's blood. Damon is determined to protect her, and to capture her heart in the process, but can Elena ever love ALL of him? Will be bloody...**

**Okay, here goes my first crack at Vamp Diaries fanfiction! Actually its my first fic of any kind in over 5 years, so please read and review. Constructive criticism, ideas, and feedback of any kind are always welcome! I am also interested in possibly working with someone as a beta. PM me if you are interested, please and thank you! **

_**This story is rated MATURE**__** and will contain explicit language, graphic violence, sexual content, and other various depraved indignities. Please do not read if you are under 18 years of age, squeamish, or uncomfortable with violent or graphic sexual content, or situations involving bloodplay.**_

**I don't own and did not create the vampire diaries or its characters, althought I wish I had my own Ian Somerhalder! This story is otherwise of my own invention. Please do not repost without my permission!**

**Without further ado, enjoy the story!**

_**Cricketsong.1985**_

_**A/N - Apr 15, 2012 - I have recieved some very helpful and much appreciated feedback from 'Rainbow Dash' who has encourged me to be wary of 'overwriting' parts of this fic. Rainbow, I went and researched the 'purple prose' thing, and while most of this piece will remain as it is, I did go back and remove about 100 words from part one, (mostly adjectives) in effort to make things flow better without sacrificing the detail that I so enjoy writing. I hope this is more balanced and easier to read for everyone, and thank you again for your very constructive criticism!**_

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**Darkly Dreaming Damon**

**Chapter One**

Damon felt a shiver of desire sweep through him as Elena's footsteps approached the study. He heard her push the door open and enter the room, filling it with her delicate scent. He had been steadily working his way through a bottle of single malt for the past few hours, contemplating the flames that leapt and roared in the fireplace as he soaked up the unnecessary heat. The 170 year old vampire was clad in his customary snug black t-shirt and jeans, icy blue eyes reflecting the light of the fire before them. His skin was somewhat pale, his spiky black hair contrasting it. His feet were propped on the coffee table in front of the antique settee upon which he lazed. The large bay window was open to the fresh evening air and the drapes stirred a bit, making shadows in the bright moonlight that poured in through the window. Aside from the fire and the moon, the room was murky. The spines of hundreds of books perched on the shelves that lined the walls were barely visible in the dim recesses of the warm study.

"Damon, I thought I'd find you here. Its hot in here, what are you doing in the dark?" He could tell she wasn't in a great mood from her short tone. She was going to be in a worse mood in a few minutes, he knew. All the more reason to be extra cheery until he gave her the bad news.

"Elena," he drawled playfully and sat up, pouring another scotch for himself. He turned to her and held it up as if to toast her, downing half of it. He savoured the smoky burn of the liquid as he worked it around in his mouth and swallowed. The warmth slid down his throat and coated his stomach pleasantly. He set the glass on the table, letting his gaze linger on Elena's' dark eyes for a brief second before returning his focus to the flames. When he spoke again there was a smile in his voice.

"I like the dark, and I like the heat. Goes great with this scotch. Grab a glass."

He gestured to the bottle with a grin, snapping up his glass again and kicking his feet back up on the table. His arm swung along the back of the couch, glass dangling from his fingertips. The amber liquid swirled inside, drawing Elena's gaze. Damon watched her, aware of her warmth and the steady beat of her heart in her chest. He studied her face – dramatic brown eyes framed by fine dark lashes, soft olive skin, and her lips a teasing pout that always drew his eye. Her hair was a loose silken curtain that swayed in the light breeze coming from the open window. It smelled of jasmine.

She shifted her focus onto him and shook her head, coming around to join him on the couch. Her words came out as an annoyed complaint. "Damon you said you had news on Stefan... Why couldn't you just tell me on the phone?" A wrinkle formed in between her eyebrows as she frowned at the mostly empty bottle on the coffee table before him. "You're drunk," she stated, unimpressed.

He smirked at her irritation. "Pleasantly buzzed, I would say, and I could have told you on the phone, but I was bored, so I decided that you should entertain me by dropping in for a drink." Damon's lips curled into a grin and he flashed to the bar across the room faster than Elena could see. He returned just as quickly with a crystal tumbler. He poured a double into the glass and placed it in Elena's hand. He felt her velvety fingertips brush his own and a tingle of electricity jumped through him in. Damn she was beautiful in the blush of the moon and the fire, especially when she was ticked off.

Elena set the glass on the table with an annoyed sigh. She looked tired and exasperated, and sounded the same. "Its one in the morning and I got out of bed and drove over here because you called me and made it sound like something serious happened. What happened Damon?" Her eyes bore into his as she pressed her lips into a thin frown.

Damon's playful look hardened seriously. He held up an envelope that was addressed to him in Stefan's writing. It had a bunch of stamps on it and had obviously done some travelling.

"I haven't checked the mail in awhile, I don't exactly get a lot of mail. I happened to check on my way in tonight and found this. Its from a few days ago."

Elena's face was a mix of emotions as she snatched the envelope out of Damon's grasp and fished a single sheet of paper from within. Damon made no move to stop her. "He wants me to tell you a bunch of stuff... you may as well just read the fucking thing," he said as she unfolded the paper and began to scan its contents with worried eyes. As an afterthought he added: "You'll be glad for that scotch when you're done reading it."

Damon rose and moved to the window, staring out over the moonlit yard. He listened to her heartbeat speed up and she choked back a sob as she read the short note from his brother. He knew it would make her cry, and he didn't want to see the heartbroken look on her face when she did.

He heard her crumple up the paper and throw it as she stifled another noise of sadness. It landed somewhere in a dark corner with a tiny noise that only Damon's sensitive ears could catch over the sound of her quiet sobs and the popping and hissing of logs burning the fireplace.

He was always acutely aware of every noise and movement she made when she was near him. When she was in state of heightened emotion he was painfully conscious of her scent, her breathing, and the expressions that flashed through her eyes and over her face. He already knew what he would see as he turned from the window and cast his eyes to where she was now curled on the couch clutching a throw pillow tightly against her. Tears ran down her cheeks. They glittered in the firelight and he wished he could make her feel better.

"He's not coming back, Damon... after everything... H-he said he's happy to be back to his old self..." Elena's words were barely a whisper, broken by the trembling of her lower lip. Fresh tears came and Damon recalled Stefan's written words:

'_Brother,_

_ How are you, I trust you're keeping well, especially now that I am out of your way. I'm writing from a nice little cafe in Amsterdam, lovely people here, they are delicious. I can't believe I spent so long trying to ignore what I am, how I should live. Klaus has helped me to reconnect with myself and I haven't looked back. I suppose you'll have to tell Elena sometime and she'll insist on 'saving' me. Do what you have to do, Brother, but don't let her go too far, Klaus will be back to collect some of her blood very soon. As long as she cooperates it will be quick and mostly painless, he promises. Otherwise, She had better be ready to say goodbye to brother Jeremy, or maybe Bonnie, or Caroline, or even YOU. Klaus will get what he wants, regardless of who he has to go through to get it. _

_I wish you all the best,_

_Stefan'_

He knew there was the very serious matter of Klaus coming to take Elena's blood, but clearly she was more worried about losing her boyfriend right this second. For once in 170 years, Damon had no idea what to say. His eyes connected with hers and he found himself taking an involuntary step forwards. He watched her shoulders shudder as she buried her face in the pillow she was clutching and sobbed. He despised the helpless feeling that overtook him. He wanted to banish her fears and sadness, pulverize them until they were dust.

Damon turned and walked out of the study through the darkness, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. He could easily navigate his way by the moonlight, even without vampire vision. He grabbed a glass and filled it with cold water and snatched a box of tissues from the counter, carrying them back upstairs. He returned to the study and lowered himself gently beside Elena on the sofa, eyeing the untouched glass of scotch still sitting on the polished wood of the coffee table. He ignored the mixed emotions swirling in his mind. He felt everything from pain over losing his brother, to rage at both Stefan and Klaus, to desire for the beautiful creature sobbing before him, and he knew that if he let a single modicum of feeling out it would threaten to crumble the wall he'd meticulously constructed to keep himself from being overwhelmed by his emotions. Flipping the 'switch' was no longer an option where Elena was concerned – he needed to be as human as he could when he dealt with her. She had seen him as a monster many times, but recently he had been playing the good guy, and he would do what he could to stay that way as long as it helped her, even if it defied his lifelong reputation.

He reached his hand out and let it rest reassuringly on her shoulder, pleased that the warm room had warmed him too, so that he wouldn't feel icy to her. For Damon, physical contact with Elena was a teasing reminder that he could never have her. The skin of her shoulder, even through her clothing, felt like fire to him, and he was immediately more aware of her pulse and inviting scent. He swallowed and frowned internally at himself, pushing his instincts away to focus on Elena. This was no time to imagine how she would feel crushed against him, trembling with need or moaning his name in pleasure. She needed a friend now, someone to help her deal with the reality of her situation. He was determined not to abandon her, after so many others had already.

"Drink some water... here," he said softly, offering her the glass and the box of tissues. She took them and closed her puffy eyes, taking a deep drink. Damon swallowed thickly, watching her lips against the glass, and her throat moving as she drank. He looked away from her, considering the dimly lit bookshelves intently. He wanted so badly to pull her against him and protect her from anything that tried to harm her. The thought of Klaus, or anyone capturing her and forcing her to give up her blood against her will made him sick. He could care less what his idiot brother did with eternity, as long as he left Elena out of harms way. He took the empty glass from her hand and set it on the coffee table. She grabbed a few tissues, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose.

Elena didn't say anything. She leaned into Damon's hand and reached her own up, grasping his palm in her delicate fingers and pulling his arm around her. He felt her hair tickle his chin and her warm back press against his chest. She wasn't shaking anymore, she just seemed deflated. Like a bird that he would crush in his arms if he wasn't exceedingly careful. She didn't make any move to pull out of his embrace, now leaning her head back against his chest. He had never seen her look defeated before, but now she did. She wasn't suggesting they go on a rescue mission, she wasn't calling her friends to come up with a plan... she was just sitting there, starting at the fire, sniffling occasionally.

Her heartbeat was slowing into a restful rhythm, and Damon found himself entranced by it, so he did not object as she closed her eyes and settled back even more against him. She was falling asleep. It was nearing two AM, she was exhausted, and she'd learned that her vampire boyfriend was having a blast murdering innocent people and tagging along with an evil Original, and that he wasn't coming back except to take her blood. Needless to say, Damon understood that Elena was overwhelmed and in need of rest.

He could tell she was completely asleep a few minutes later, listening to her deep, slow breathing. Her petite frame relaxed and she twisted a bit so that her face was against Damon's chest. He tensed momentarily as he felt her face press against his chest. A feeling of possessiveness swam through him. He surged with a desire to protect Elena, even as his body betrayed other desires he was experiencing. He and Stefan had come into her life and completely flipped it upside down. They'd exposed her to the supernatural, vampires, curses, and evil tombs, and she had lost so many people close to her because of it, most recently her Aunt Jenna, and now Stefan. She had experienced so much pain thanks to them. She deserved to be free of it, but now there was nothing he could do. He could not go back and stop himself from returning to Mystic Falls anymore than he could undo the feelings for her that had invaded his heart and now refused to abate.

A scowl formed on his face as he carefully extricated himself from Elena's grasp and laid her on the couch. His jeans strained painfully where his erection had formed as a result of her closeness. He took a breath and tried to calm himself, but all he did was inhale more of her delicious scent, which only caused him to imagine running his hands freely over her body, and made his cock even harder. He grabbed the scotch still sitting on the table from earlier and downed it in one gulp. It burned deliciously as it slid down his throat. He tended the fire so that it would stay warm in the study for the night, and found a mohair throw to cover her with , then closed the bay window silently, locking it. She looked so exquisite strewn on the sofa with moonlight spilling all over her, making her skin glow white in its wake. It was all he could do to keep himself from crawling back onto the couch and pulling her warmth close.

Instead he left the study, blurring downstairs to the cooler to get a blood bag. He took it to the kitchen and emptied the contents into a mug. He put it in the microwave and hit the sensor match button. It was already programmed to 98.6F, which gave him the perfect cup every time. He stood in the dark watching the mug circle around on the microwave plate. His jeans weren't so tight now that he'd put some distance between their bodies, but the image of her washed in moonlight still lingered in his mind.

The microwave beeped and he retrieved his meal, taking it back to his bedroom. He contemplated going back to the study, but he could hear Elena's heartbeat and her breathing from anywhere in the boarding house, and he needed some space. He sipped at the blood as he padded down the hall past the study to his bedroom. It was the Master bedroom, with large windows and of course his custom, oversized bed, built of solid hardwood and draped in the finest white silk sheets, and goose down duvet and pillows. Damon felt the blood warm and nourish him, despite the stale, bagged, re-heated taste. Fresh was always much better, but sometimes it was nice not to have to attack, seduce, compel or kill anyone for a meal. It got to be a lot of work to hunt for every drop of blood and bags were a viable supplement to any modern vampire's diet. He set his drink on the bedside table and removed his jeans, kicking his boxers and socks off as well, and pulling his shirt over his head. He wasn't really tired, but he still liked the peace of laying in bed at night while the rest of the world slept. He sat on the edge of the giant bed and picked up the mug of blood, tipping his head back and downing the rest of it. He did not spill a drop, always being a very meticulous and clean feeder. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the full, warm, almost living feeling he got when he drank. He could feel a bit of heat in his skin, his cheeks warming with it, and for the moment he was content.

He climbed under the covers and listened for Elena's heartbeat and breath. He allowed the steady beat to lull him into a relaxed state, and he fell into a light sleep.

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**Ok, theres's chapter one! **

**Let me know what you thought by clicking the Review Button! Feedback is incredibly rewarding and encouraging so please don't be shy! Thank you for reading and reviewing **

_**A/N: The title of this story is most certainly borrowed and tweaked from 'Darkly Dreaming Dexter,' a**__** novel by Jeff Lindsay, about serial killer Dexter Morgan. HBO's Series 'Dexter' is inspired by Lindsay's books. If you haven't seen the series check it out!**_

_**Crickesong.1985**_


	2. Chapter Two

_**This chapter will be a bit darker than the first, I hope you enjoy it, and thank you everyone for the reviews and favourites!**_

_**Cricketsong.1985**_

_**A/N – Apr 15.12 – I have continued my edit with this chapter by removing over 350 words and rewriting a few bits and pieces. I hope that it makes things easier to follow and more enjoyable. I would greatly appreciate feedback related to this revision!**_

**Darkly Dreaming Damon**

**Chapter Two**

The starry sky began to give way to streaks of dawn light, and Damon's light sleep melted away gradually. He'd been having a wonderful dream and he woke with a smile on his lips. He recalled the evening before, and Elena falling asleep on the sofa in the study. He reached out his senses and picked up her heartbeat easily, but it wasn't peacefully thumping away as he expected. It was hammering at a fearful pace. He listened more carefully and heard her breaths were deep and even – she was asleep, dreaming.

Damon closed his eyes and drew deep breaths, relaxing himself and focusing on extending the skill that was one of the stranger aspects of being a vampire. It had taken some getting used to, and a lot of practise to perfect. He hadn't used it very much in his first few decades, as it was a challenge to manipulate the ability. He was able to hone in on Elena's energy, specifically her fitful dreams. Damon was hit with a wave of fear and panic from Elena. Her pounding heartbeat filled his head and his fists clenched. What was she dreaming about that was causing her so much terror? He put more energy into his searching, her dreamscape rising into focus in his mind. He could feel what she felt, hear what she thought, and see what she saw.

_Elena tried to scream against the impossibly strong palm that covered her mouth, but it was useless, She was going to die. He was going to kill her for sure. Pain radiated from the deep bite on her throat. She dipped in and out of consciousness as the extreme blood loss started to take her over. The whites of Stefan's piercing green eyes were red with his bloodlust, and the veins around them were darkened and engorged with blood, giving him a fearsome, monstrous countenance. His fangs, lips and chin were stained a deep red that looked black in the darkness around her. Her heart laboured furiously to pump her dwindling blood supply through her trembling body. She was shaking uncontrollably, sweating, getting weaker. Elena's thoughts briefly flashed to the many times Stefan had been sweet and loving to her – someone she trusted completely and counted on to protect her. In this moment all of that humanity was gone, replaced by a horrifying monster that left no trace of the kind man behind. She felt that she was seeing him for what he truly was, perhaps for the first time, and it would be the last thing she ever saw. Sadness swam through her at this realization._

_Her nails scratched desperate furrows in his arm, trying to take his hand from her mouth, but he didn't react. The scratches simply healed, and she had become too weak to struggle anymore. She raised her eyes towards the sky, knowing that she would never see any of them again, that she would never see Jeremy or Bonnie, never see Damon again. Emotion surged through Elena as she tried to keep here eyes on the stars glittering from the safety of the heavens. Pain radiated through her body as a fresh, crushing bite was hungrily administered to her throat. He removed his hand from her mouth to hold her against his muscled body as her legs gave way beneath her._

Damon was shocked by the intensity of the dream he'd entered. It was difficult to push past Elena's projected fear and redirect her nightmare. Damon had to gather his strength and focus to bring change to the scene she projected. He concentrated intently on her, feeling her slowly concede to his influence on her nightmare.

_Just as she was finally drifting away past the point of pain, Elena felt it stop. For a brief moment she thought she was dead, and that she could finally be at peace, be safe. She felt the crushing pressure on her throat lessen. A tingling swept through her body as the wounds, bruises, and scratches all over her skin began to heal with supernatural speed. It itched, almost tickled. She hesitantly peeked an eye at Stefan, but he was gone. The starry night was gone – turned to day – with cheery beams of sunlight streaking down all around her. Damon was holding her. He brought her through her bedroom window and gingerly set her on the bed. She looked down at herself, searching for blood but there was none; she was clean, healthy and safe. Her teddy bear was on the bed beside her. She looked at Damon in confusion, but he was already gone out the window, leaving her feeling incredibly safe and absolutely certain that nothing could harm her._

Damon opened his eyes slowly, Elena's thoughts of his brother still flickering in his mind. He had completely forgotten his own pleasant dreams, instead remembering Elena's panic and the awful pain she'd been feeling. He knew that a vampire bite was agony – he'd doled out plenty of them over the years – but he had never felt one himself. When Katherine fed from him in 1864 she had been gentle, and he had been more than willing. It had been a wonderful, experience that left him craving her touch and the connection he'd felt when they shared blood. Elena's nightmare experience was quite the opposite, and he wondered how much of it was a memory and how much was creative thinking. He knew Stefan had never been able to control his bloodlust well enough to give a 'nice' bite. The vampiric instinct to feed and kill took him over completely when he tasted human blood, so he'd seldom fed from anyone without killing them out of sheer excitement. It made the elder Salvatore brother furious to consider this. Elena was innocent, and she was plagued by night terrors that involved her so-called boyfriend, whom she was supposed to be able to trust. Instead she was afraid of him, and with very good reason. In a faraway corner of his mind Damon imagined how it would feel to show Elena what an intimate experience sharing blood with a vampire partner could be. He felt his own animal instincts stirring at this thought, encouraged by his anger and frustration. He controlled his wandering imagination by reminding himself that Elena was absolutely off-limits and always would be. Tasting her would remain a fantasy.

Damon felt drained from using the dream manipulating ability. Hunger gnawed at him, which made it more difficult to tone down the sound of Elena's now-relaxed heartbeat. He consciously blocked his instinct to follow the noise, instead kicking off his covers and padding across his room to find something to wear.

Moments later Damon was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. A quick trip downstairs for some blood and he was back in front of the microwave, watching the mug circle around on the plate, awaiting the satisfying beep that indicated the contents were heated to exactly 98.6F. On a usual day he would only have one bag in the morning, but this morning he was nearly ravenous. He downed both pints of blood quickly, and still the continuous beat of Elena's heart beckoned to him from the study where she slept.

He brought a glass of orange juice with him up the stairs, catching Elena's scent in the hall as he approached the door. Nudging it open with his foot, Damon peered into the brightly lit study. Morning sun was pouring in through the bay window and bathing the whole room in its welcoming glow.

Elena was stretched on the sofa with the throw over her lower half and a pillow tucked under her head. Her breathing was slow and relaxed. Her hair was fanned out around her delicately. One of her hands rested on her stomach, rising and falling with her breaths. The scent of her skin, her shampoo, even her breathing veritably summoned Damon closer to her, his feet carrying him around the sofa to perch on the edge of it. The relentless rhythm of her heart pumping filled his ears. Lub dub, lub dub, lub dub. It was hypnotic. The vampire cursed his nature, his preternatural senses, and his overly sentimental heart as a pang of desire for Elena threatened to overtake his common sense.

Damon considered Elena's sleeping features. He was such a sap. He wanted her more than anything on the Earth, even more than he'd wanted Katherine (and he'd spent 145 years waiting for her, only to find that she couldn't have cared less about him if he was a pebble under her shoe). He had resigned himself to eternity alone after that, coming to accept that he would go insane if he allowed his mind to run amok with wild ideas about falling in love ever again. And yet, here he was hopelessly drawn and bound to this woman. She was barely a woman... only 18, she was still a girl, just starting out her short life, which was constantly in danger. She knew what he was, she had seen him deal death and punishment, seen him crazed by a werewolf bite. He knew he had tasted her blood one time – when he was losing his mind to the fever and nearing certain death – but he could not, no matter how he tried, remember the bite or her taste. All he remembered was the confusion the fever caused, and feeling afraid. Even still, he knew she had seen him lose control in those bleak hours, and she hadn't left him. She'd stayed, even after he bit her. She didn't turn away from him even when he was completely taken by the fever, unable to control what he did and said.

She trusted him not to hurt her. That meant a lot to Damon, as he was seldom granted anybody's trust in his lifetime. He had never done much to deserve it. Stefan may have been a murderous serial ripper, but Damon knew he was no saint. He had almost always kept 'pets'- women he'd compelled to obey him and offer him anything he wanted. There was much blood, bourbon, and bare skin in his past, so many drunken orgies, and so many times he'd become frustrated with the human women and snapped their necks. He didn't always kill them, it really depended on his mood. Sometimes he would come across a woman he felt he might connect with... he had even revealed his nature to a few of them, but had always been met with pleading to be left alive, to be let go. He had never had one of them willingly remain at his side. Then again, he wasn't particularly nice to any of them either. He'd spared them tenderness entirely.

Many labels for himself popped into his head: murderer, rapist, sadist, but it always came back to 'monster'. Damon believed, in his heart, that he was truly a beast that deserved to burn in Hell. He couldn't do penance for his sins in ten lifetimes. Religion and the concept of being eternally damned were simply engrained into his being. As a boy he'd been taught that God sent sinners to Hell, and even though he didn't really buy into that concept now, it still lingered within him. He wondered what would happen to his soul when he eventually died. He wondered if he even had a soul anymore.

All of this played in his mind as he put a hand to Elena's cheek to wake her. She felt so hot and alive under his fingertips, which were warm from his meal minutes earlier. A jolt of electricity leapt through him where he made contact with her skin, the hairs on the backs of his arms and neck standing on end. Her cheeks were flushed and a thin sheen of sweat dampened her forehead. He assumed this was left over from her nightmare. Her eyes slowly blinked open.. He heard her heartbeat pick up a bit as she regained consciousness gradually. She met his eyes, a sleepy expression still on her face. He withdrew his hand, resting it over his knee.

"Its morning Elena," he said gently.

Elena snapped awake and sat up quickly as a worried frown took over her features. Her hand went to her throat, feeling for something. Damon sensed her fear and anxiety. She inspected herself with a confused look, not registering his presence. She saw the orange juice on the table and picked up the glass, swallowing the it thankfully. She set the empty glass back on the table and gave Damon a furtive glance.

"What's wrong?' he asked her, knowing the answer to her question already.

Her tone was level and devoid of much expression, "Nothing, I had a really weird dream, I thought it was real." She rose from the couch still dressed in last night's clothes, which consisted of black yoga pants, a white t-shirt, and a zippered navy blue hoodie. She looked around the study, apparently recalling the previous night's discoveries about Stefan and Klaus.

"Stefan's in Europe. With Klaus," she stated, her brows knitting together and making that little wrinkle between them as she scowled at the coffee table. Damon had to wonder what she was thinking and feeling. He somehow doubted she shared his rage at the overall situation. His voice came out exasperated, his eyes burning into hers.

"_That's _the part you're upset about? Elena we have to come up with a plan to stop Klaus. He is going to come back for you... for your blood. We should see if Witchy can cast some kind of protection spell on you, something to stop him being able to take your blood. " Damon paced over to the bar, selecting a bottle of Kentucky bourbon and grabbing a clean tumbler. It was – he looked over to the clock on the wall – 8:15 AM, definitely time for a drink. He poured himself a generous helping, inhaling its sharp, smoky aroma. He felt a measure of calmness at the familiar scent. He held the glass in his hand, eyes flitting back to Elena's. She was glaring at him. The defeat that had been there the night before was gone. She stood and spoke firmly.

"Damon I have already decided that I will let him take my blood. He-"

Damon interrupted her angrily. "What! You can't be a martyr Elena, that fucker is going to kill you! You're talking crazy." He put the glass to his lips, drawing in a mouthful from the tumbler clutched tightly in his hand. Even its heat and flavour didn't calm his ire. He imagined Klaus draining Elena dry and the glass promptly shattered, slicing his palm and fingers in a few places and crashing to the floor, breaking into several shards. The smell of bourbon invaded the whole room as it soaked into one of his antique hand-woven rugs.

He didn't really even notice as his hand mended itself and he stepped over the broken pieces towards Elena, who stood defiantly before him. She was unfazed by the broken glass or his figure looming over her. She poked him in the chest angrily, fire flashing in her eyes.

"Its _MY_ life, and I know that Klaus will hurt the people I care about if I don't give him what he wants. The letter said he wouldn't hurt me as long as I co-operate. I'm doing it. You can't stop me Damon, don't try to." She put her hands on her hips, solidifying her statement. As an afterthought in a softer voice she added, " I don't want him to kill you." Sadness tugged at the fire in her eyes, her expression becoming more wistful than warring.

Damon erupted at her. His hands gestured violently as he yelled into her face. "Who cares if he kills me! I'm already dead, but you aren't! Elena you are alive, you are human, you should be hanging out with your friends and living your life, not worrying about this fucking bullshit! It was a mistake for Stefan and I to ever come back to Mystic Falls. We brought danger to you. We brought this trouble right to your doorstep." Damon's eyes slit in anger, boring into Elena's, which were equally severe. He could not believe she was even considering putting herself in danger _AGAIN!_ This stubborn, well-meaning bullshit was going to get her killed, and fast.

Elena stared at him with a stern expression. She swallowed and took a breath, apparently refusing to get riled up. He hated it when she wouldn't fight! He wanted to argue with her, to push her buttons and get under her skin. He needed her to see that she would die if Klaus got his hands on her. He couldn't be trusted to keep his word.

She surprised him by taking his hands in hers and squeezing them firmly.

"Damon. This isn't up to you. Klaus needs me alive, he is not going to kill me, or he won't be able to make more hybrids. I will be fine. Besides, we have no way of knowing when he's coming, we can't stop it. Its going to happen, so I should just accept that and go with him willingly when it does. Its safer for all of us that way, can't you see that?" Her voice was serious and even but her rapidly thudding heartbeat contradicted her projected calm - he could tell she was being brave to cover her fear. Her eyes pleaded with him and the heat from her hands was distracting him from the gravity of the situation. He pulled his palms free from hers, putting some distance between their bodies so he could think.

"Its safer for everyone but you." He said gruffly.

"My life isn't any more or less important than anybody else's Damon," Elena said sternly, "I don't want to die, but I really don't think Klaus is going to kill me. Its the best option from a very short list of options right now."

Damon wanted to yell at her some more. He felt like shaking her by the shoulders until she got it, but that wasn't going to help anything. He released an unintentional growl and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her.

"So we just sit here and wait for him to come get you."

"Yes."

"And you're going to go with him totally willingly when he does."

"Yes."

Damon could no longer contain his rage. He blurred out of the study in an instant, leaving Elena behind to blink at the spot he'd occupied a moment before. He distantly heard her call his name, but he kept going.

He really needed to kill something.

_**There you go readers, thats chapter two! We got a little deeper into Damon in this chapter, what does everyone think? I love him angry – its hot. I had a lot of fun writing this one! I hope you enjoyed! Please review!**_

_**Crickesong.1985**_


	3. Chapter Three

_**Alright guys, here is chapter three! This one is a bit short, as I had to split it up, it was getting past the 6000 word mark and I wanted to give you guys some fresh material today! I hope everyone is enjoying the fic. For those waiting on smut I promise its coming! I am aiming for this to be a longer fic probably around 15 or 20 chapters.**_

_**As always, constructive criticism and any other reviews are always welcome!**_

_**Cricketsong.1985 **_

_**- Apr 16. 12 – A/N – I've gone through this chapter and eliminated some extraneous bullshit. Enjoy.**_

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**Darkly Dreaming Damon**

**Chapter Three**

It was the middle of a sunny, warm summer morning in Mystic Falls, not exactly ideal hunting grounds for a vampire. Damon, however, was very skilled and very, very angry. His anger stimulated his preternatural senses, heightening his hearing, vision, and sense of smell. He knew he needed to feed on human blood now, he needed to sink his teeth into someone. Badly.

Damon found himself walking through a parking lot behind some clothing stores. There would be a female here somewhere, maybe just arriving to work or taking a coffee break, or someone doing some early morning shopping. He preferred the taste of female blood, although he would not turn down a good opportunity to feed because of gender. Blood was blood. It was nourishing and restorative and made him feel almost alive regardless of age, race, or sex. That being said, female blood was distinctly different from male, something about the hormones or iron levels or some such detail gave it a flavour that he found irresistible.

He caught the scent of light perfume and her heartbeat filled his ears as he caught sight of her. She appeared to be in her twenties and her body was voluptuous and firm, her breasts large and perky, with strawberry blonde hair in a long braid that swished down her back. An itching, then throbbing pressure that was all too familiar to Damon developed in his upper jaw as his fangs were growing through the sensitive tissue of his gums. His face darkened around the eyes, where the veins that were usually hidden beneath the surface were beginning to fill with blood. He consciously relaxed his firm hold over his instincts and he became a predator actively stalking its prey. There was an extremely satisfying feeling that accompanied this release – it felt natural to hunt. He knew that even though his human self was as normal and innocent of murder as anyone else, as a vampire hunting suited him well. It calmed his nerves and made him feel like he was in control, which he liked very much.

She was getting into an Accord with tinted windows, and there was nobody else around for the moment. Perfect. Her arms were clad in shiny bracelets that jangled when she put the key into the driver's side door to unlock it. Her modest heels ensured that if she tried to run she wouldn't get very far. Not that Damon was planning on giving her a chance to run.

Damon sped up to her and caught her gaze, compelling her immediately. The ability was so easy to use that he had done it unintentionally as a young vampire, especially when excited or in bloodlust. She fell under his spell and he wasted no time.

"You will not be afraid and will not scream. You will do as I say until I tell you to stop. Then you will forget you ever saw me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, why are you doing this? What's wrong with your face?" she asked in a calm tone, her gray-blue eyes dim and obedient. She studied his face fearlessly, a manicured hand absently reaching up to touch the darkness around his eyes. She seemed fascinated by him, but Damon didn't care. This wasn't show and tell. All he noticed was that she was radiating so much wonderful, tempting heat, that she was so alive. The roar of her heart pumped strong and true and didn't miss a beat as she stood and waited for him to tell her what to do.

"Get in the car and let me in the passenger side. Don't turn it on," he ordered swiftly, walking around to the other side of the car and getting in when she unlocked the door. The tinted windows were perfect, and he noticed once inside that the windshield was covered by a sunshade made of reflective cardboard, which essentially made her car the perfect place to feed. It was still hot in the car, despite the shade, which felt wonderful to Damon. The heat always seemed to stimulate his hunger. He felt the veins around his eyes throbbing and filled with blood, his senses on high alert as he revealed the hungry beast that usually lurked behind a handsome countenance. He waited until she closed her door and then he grabbed her braid and roughly yanked her head back, pulling her against his chest and putting his nose against her throat. He inhaled her scent and the delicious smell of her blood. He could hear it rushing just below the surface of her pale skin, he could see the vein he wanted, could hear her heart pumping the beautiful red elixir through her, making her _alive_. He ran his tongue over her soft skin, tasting her saltiness and feeling that beautiful rhythm throbbing against his lips and tongue and against any part of him that touched her body. She was so hot against him, he felt himself harden in his jeans, felt his fangs and jaws aching to sink into her, to taste her.

There was an irrefutably sexual aspect to feeding from a human, regardless of gender. Of course an attractive woman was certainly more stimulating than a male victim or a woman he wasn't attracted to, however he often found himself aroused when feeding, or thinking about feeding. This response had always puzzled him, and he had spent a long time wondering if other vampires felt the same way. His brother was no help, since he had all the self control of a meth addict where blood was concerned, and it seemed to be the violence that he enjoyed more than anything. Damon had always been a lover, not a fighter – he didn't feel like he was comparable to Stefan in that respect. Absent was the urge to rip out the throat of everyone he tasted, and doing so really only made him feel like a monster. Not that he hadn't killed hundreds of victims, especially in the beginning when he was less skilled, but in the last century any death he caused had been intentional, not accidental. Since meeting Elena, it had been harder to kill people without feeling bad about it after – something about her piercing stare made him feel like the lights were turned on and all the blood on his hands was visible at the same time. Still, all the guilt in the world couldn't stop the natural reaction his body had to being pressed against a virile young woman who's blood was all but flowing into his waiting mouth. The fantastic rush of it through her was all he could hear and see, and he didn't waste another second thinking about it.

He sank his fangs deep into her milky throat and was rewarded with the flow of scorching hot blood over his tongue. He sucked hard on her, his hands crushing her against him and pulling her into his lap in the passenger seat of her car. She wriggled in his arms, her squirming movements exciting him further as arterial spurts of blood were pumped into his mouth from his bite. Careful as he was, not a drop spilled anywhere on either of them. Her taste was exquisite, especially coupled with her squirming in his grasp. Whether he planned to kill her or not, his predatory self very much enjoyed subduing her movements with a firm grasp.

He drank very deeply from her, but forced himself to stop before he took too much and killed her. He could feel her heart stammer at the shock of suddenly losing so much blood. Her movements slowed in his arms, her weight settling against him as she gave in. Before pulling completely away from her Damon bit his own tongue and licked at his bite mark on the woman's throat. He watched as the blood that entered her wound mended her flesh and healed the evidence of his attack. The already forming bruise melted away, leaving soft white skin in its wake, and the puncture marks from his fangs faded and disappeared in moments. He lapped away the last vestiges of red and freed her from his arms, licking his lips as a heady rush of pleasure, heat, and energy surged through him. He hadn't fed from a human in several weeks, and it was invigorating to have a proper meal circulating his body.

She sat in the driver's seat of her car staring quietly at him. He noted the paleness in her formerly rosy cheeks. She looked pretty confused. She met his gaze and questions flooded her face but she didn't say anything to him. Her hand went absently to the place on her throat where she'd been bitten. She licked her lips and moved her hand from her throat to her forehead. "I feel dizzy, what did you do to me?" Her voice was weaker than before, almost submissive. Damon consciously regained control over his bloodlust, feeling his fangs slip away, and the blood leaving his eyes and face so he looked like a normal human man. He ignored her question and flashed her a handsome smile, cupping her cheek with his now warm palm. He promptly kissed her opposite cheek.

"Sweetheart you were delish, but I gotta run. You will feel very hungry after this and will go get a large meal, drink some water, then get some rest. When I get out of this car you will stop doing as I say." Damon listened to her heartbeat, which was strained but not in any danger. She would be fine after some food and rest. The girl just nodded at him obediently in response.

He extricated himself from the vehicle and blurred out of the parking lot, back towards the boarding house. He assumed Elena would be gone and planned on spending some quality time with the bourbon he'd sampled that morning. He needed to be alone, to think of some kind of plan. Elena was still practically inviting Klaus to kill her.

* * *

Days stretched into weeks, and nothing changed. Nobody tried to kill Elena, Stefan didn't write again, Klaus did not come to take her blood. Damon remained on high alert, knowing that it would happen eventually, and he intended on stopping it. Stefan's letter had warned that Klaus would come 'very soon.' To a thousand year old immortal that could be in a day or in a year, but it _would_ eventually be, leaving Damon watching over her as much as he was able to. He enlisted Alaric's help with this task, which seemed to be a welcome distraction for the teacher, who was still grieving Jenna's death. He knew Alaric had been staying at the Gilbert house before Klaus killed Jenna, and he'd observed the man staying there ever since. Alaric was the absolute closest thing to a real friend he'd had in decades, maybe longer. He was always up for a chat (and a drink) and Damon found himself meeting up with the part-time vampire slayer on a regular basis to shoot the shit and relax. He couldn't spend every waking moment watching after Elena, after all. He had to have a _little_ fun at least _once_ in awhile. Tonight Elena had invited Caroline over for a girl's night in, and Damon took the opportunity to let loose and have some fun of his own, which he needed more than he was willing to admit.

So the warm summer evening found Damon and Alaric together at the Grill slamming back shots and stumbling home after. It was becoming a regularly scheduled guy's night itinerary for the pair. They sauntered side by side down the dark street, talking and laughing.

"Ok, hold on man, I can't see shit," Alaric complained as he stumbled on an uneven spot in the sidewalk and snagged a corner of the vampire's leather jacket to stop his fall. He laughed and Damon shrugged him off with a knowing smirk.

"Get off me Alaric, its not my fault you don't see in the dark." Damon retorted in jest, waggling his eyebrows and laughing as his friend tried to keep his balance on the irregular sidewalk. Damon was pretty loaded himself, having drunk a whole quart of scotch in a less than two hours. His senses were dimmed a bit, his hunger quiet in the back of his mind. He had to laugh – he never felt so human as he did at times like these – the excessive alcohol dulled things down nicely.

He was caught off guard and didn't react in time as Alaric shoved him off the sidewalk into the ditch beside it. He tripped ungracefully over his own feet and fell on his ass in the ditch. He caught the other man's flushed face laughing at him and was up in an instant.

"Oh now you're dead, you got mud on my shoes! These are Prada!" He made a scene of straightening out his clothes and trying to wipe the mud off his shoes in the grass, then he blurred up to Alaric and grabbed him in a headlock. "You're lucky I'm a nice vampire now, or I wouldda killed you for that," He threatened, releasing Alaric's neck roughly and shoving him for good measure.

"Oh pffft, I'd just come back anyway. Magic ring, remember?" he held up has hand, waving it around to show off the ring. "I got more lives than a cat."

"Lucky for you," Damon shot back, "I'd have killed you good by now if you didn't have that thing." He snorted smugly and stuffed his hands in his pockets, sauntering off the main road and onto the smaller residential road that led to the Gilbert house. Tall trees arched over the darkened sidewalk, leaves rustling in the warm summer breeze. The moon was only a teensy sliver in a far corner of the sky. It reflected off of the windows of parked cars as the jovial pair sauntered towards their destination.

Elena and Jeremy's house appeared down the street as they rounded a bend, amicable silence between them. Damon could see the light on in Elena's bedroom window. The family room window also flickered with the light of the TV screen flashing behind the blinds.

Alaric turned to Damon when they reached the front walk. "Well, this is my stop, have a good one man, talk to you soon," he said lightly, giving Damon a wave and turning onto the walk. Damon watched the man climb the setps and enter the house. The door closed behind him with a soft click.

He stood for a moment, considering whether he should go home or go hunting. He honestly wasn't that hungry thanks to the alcohol in his system, but he didn't feel like going home. He caught the sound of Caroline and Elena's voices wafting out of the open window, and his curiosity got the better of him.

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**_Alrighty there's chapter three! What will Damon overhear between Elena and Caroline? And when will there be a damned lemon to validate all those warnings? Hmmmm... keep reading to find out!_**

**_Please let me know what you think of my writing! I really do take every comment into consideration in effort to improve!_**

**_Cricketsong.1985_**


	4. Chapter Four

_**Alrighty, here is Chapter Four! I want to thank everyone who reviewed, favourited, and subscribed to alerts! You guys rock!**_

_**I have done an edit to the first three chapters, removing about 600 words and paring things down a little. I will be more conscious of 'overwriting' scenes and descriptions from now on!**_

_**As always, constructive criticism and any other reviews are always welcome! Thank you for reading!**_

_**Cricketsong.1985 **_

* * *

**Darkly Dreaming Damon**

**Chapter Four**

Mindful of making the slightest noise (which might alert Caroline's sensitive ears to his presence) Damon climbed into the tree beside the house and perched amongst the branches, hidden in the leaves. There was a worn spot on one of the boughs, because Damon had spent night after night here, watching over Elena's unknowing, sleeping form. He'd started doing it long before Klaus came into the picture; at first he had just been curious about Elena but later he had become concerned for her safety. Her window was cracked a few inches, the curtain open. Caroline and Elena were sitting on the bed, talking and laughing as only teenage girls can – with tons of enthusiasm and wild hand gestures to go with their words.

"Oh. My. God." Caroline was saying in a dramatic tone. She was sitting cross-legged, facing Elena. Damon could see her blonde hair was down and that she was wearing what appeared to be flannel pyjama pants with green and blue smiley faces all over them and a blue tank top, her pale shoulders bare underneath her loose locks. Elena had on a comparable outfit in shades of blue and white, her hair tied back in a low ponytail. A strand had escaped and hung beside her face. She was listening intently to Caroline now, a pillow clutched against her chest. Her chin rested on top of it. Damon caught the strong aroma of white wine, which wafted off the two glasses perched on the bedside table. He saw Elena take a sip of hers and go back to listening intently to Caroline's story. He could hear her heart beating steadily in her chest, and could see she was flushed, her cheeks pink from the wine.

"Elena you can't tell Bonnie, or anyone about this, but I have to tell someone, and I figure you are the only one who will understand, but don't be grossed out ok? Its vampire stuff..." Caroline paused, awaiting Elena's promise not to tell.

"Don't worry Caroline, nothing surprises me anymore, did you kill someone?" Elena fished in an even voice.

"Of course not Elena! Jeeze, I _DO_ have self-control you know, this is nothing like that, but it is something that happened when I was, you know, hunting." Caroline's eyes flashed to Elena's for a moment before she continued. "The blood bags are convenient, but I need the fresh stuff too every so often or I get cranky and start to feel weaker." She fidgeted on the bed, reaching for her glass and draining it in a swift gulp. Damon laughed to himself at how young Caroline was, which led him to consider how he he'd treated her when she was human. He knew he'd been cruel to her, but he'd saved her life too, so in his book it evened out pretty well. Her turning had not been his fault (Katherine killed her, after all), and he didn't carry any guilt over it. Regardless of the details, she made a damned good vampire and he hoped she lived many centuries. He almost considered her a friend. He listened more carefully as Caroline dropped her voice lower.

"Well I was out looking for someone to feed from, and I came across this hot guy who was out walking by himself. I know I'm kind of with Tyler, but I haven't even told him about this," she leaned closer to Elena, who mirrored the gesture, leaning closer to Caroline. "I went up to him and I was going to compel him, but I didn't, I don't know why, I just started talking to him, and we hit it off. We started to walk along the path together and then he totally surprised me by trying to kiss me!" Damon saw Elena's eyes widen at that. "I know, right, totally not what I expected, but I went with it, we walked off to some bushes and I kissed him back, and I could hear his heartbeat pounding, it was so loud, he smelled really good, I knew his blood was going to taste so amazing, but I didn't want to hurt him. I knew there was nobody else around, I knew I was stronger than this guy if he tried to get away, so I thought I would try to do it without compelling him. Its hard, sometimes the compelling just happens to them without me doing it on purpose. Its tough to control, so I thought I would practise _not_ compelling my prey and see what happened." Caroline paused, meeting Elena's gaze. She seemed embarrassed to continue. Elena put a hand on her knee.

"Its ok Care, I've heard and seen lots of weird, bloody stuff from Damon and Stefan, especially Stefan. I can handle it, however gross or scary it is."

"Aww that's sweet Elena, but its not something gross, it was... amazing. We made out a bit and I was enjoying it, I knew my face had changed and I was sure he would try to run away but he didn't. He seemed fascinated, not scared, and he said I was beautiful. I figured 'what the hell,' and told the guy that I wanted to bite him, that I didn't want to hurt him. He looked scared for a sec, but then he nodded and he let me. He actually saw my scary face and he didn't freak out or run away. He basically gave me permission to bite him. Without me compelling him at all. Elena I don't even know how to explain how that felt! I'm still new compared to all the other vampires here, and even though Stefan helped me learn to hunt bunnies I needed to learn to hunt for human blood on my own, and compelling them was always the easiest, safest way. I have never tried any blood stuff with Tyler because if he bites me he will kill me, like he almost killed Damon. Sooooo, here I was in some random bushes with a guy I never met before who I just made out with, and he can see my scary bloodlust face and he's actually offering me his throat. So I bit him."

Caroline stopped talking as if she had finished her story. Elena reached out and snatched her hands, yanking on them urgently. "Caroline! _Then_ what happened? Did he freak out? Did you hurt him? I remember when Stefan bit me it hurt so much, I think its one of the worst things I've ever felt, like he was draining all my life away, my veins burned, my heart hurt, I felt cold all over, and then he freaked out and yelled at me. It sucked, pun intended." Elena's eyes darkened at the memory as she released Caroline's hands. She picked her wine glass from the nightstand, taking a swallow.

Caroline shook her head, "Aww Elena, that's terrible, but it doesn't have to be like that. That's what I found out, that I don't have to hurt them or force them to be unafraid. There can be 'nice bites' too, ones that feel amazing for both the vampire _and_ the person being bitten. When I bit this guy he made noises of pleasure, he held onto me like he never wanted me to stop, he even got a boner, like it felt good! And he tasted sooooo amazing, its hard to describe. There was this sexual energy between us, and I somehow could taste it in his blood too, taste that he was willingly letting me drink..." Caroline trailed off for a moment, and blushed so hard Damon could even see the tips of her ears turn red, "I know it sounds weird but it was so nice that he wasn't afraid Elena, that I made him feel good. I still compelled him to forget me and keep the bite mark covered until it healed, I couldn't take the risk of him telling someone, but just knowing that its possible to share something like that with a human is... it means a lot."

Caroline fell silent and Damon saw Elena pull her into a long hug. She relaxed her hold and patted Caroline on the shoulder. Her green eyes were staring off at nothing, seemingly lost in her memory. Elena's voice drew her attention.

"So, that means that it doesn't always have to hurt for the human. I had no idea, I thought all bites were painful. Stefan..." Elena's voice trailed off upon mentioning the younger Salvatore brother's name. Her brows furrowed in consternation and she focussed keenly on her bedspread, not meeting her friend's eyes. "He was never able to make it so it didn't hurt really badly. He wasn't able to stop himself, the urges and the bloodlust were overpowering to him. I know he didn't trust himself to stop before he took too much. I'm kind of glad he didn't try more, it scared me. It still does. I don't know if I could ever do like the guy you fed from did. I'd be so scared of the pain and I'd be scared of getting killed." She looked scared just thinking about it, which was driving Damon crazy from his vantage point in the tree. He hadn't planned on Caroline's description of her feeding leaving him painfully aroused and imagining Elena beneath him, begging to be tasted and touched. He could show her how beautiful and erotic sharing her blood could be, especially during sex – that was the ultimate exchange. He shifted in the tree, trying to keep his swelling dick in a bearable position. He'd started to feel a little guilty about witnessing this conversation, but he couldn't stop listening anymore than he could tear his eyes away from the attractive pair on the other side of the window. The anger he felt at Elena's fear of Stefan normally would have sent him into a rage, but at the moment it was only serving to make him want the Elena even more. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

"Well apparently there's more to it than pain. 'Cause that was the most erotic, sexy, hot thing I ever did in my life, and I'm pretty sure it was for him too. I know Stefan's got some issues where the whole human blood thing is concerned, but he's gone now Elena, you shouldn't keep living in the past. You can't force him to change and by the time he does on his own you could be... well it might take him a long time to go back on the Stefan diet." Caroline put a hand on Elena's knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. "How have you been handling him being gone? Its been almost two months."

Elena took a deep breath, sighing heavily. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't even know Care, I miss him, I still hope he'll change his mind, but I know that's not realistic. I guess I was kind of waiting for Klaus to come back for me. I thought he might have Stefan with him, that maybe if he sees me he will realize his mistake and come back..." She trailed off into silence. She anxiously rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. After almost a full minute she continued, her voice sounding haunted, "Care I'm scared of him. I... I almost don't want him to come back. He... I've been having these nightmares..."

Caroline's perfectly plucked brows furrowed, a slight wrinkle appearing on her forehead. "About Stefan?"

"Yeah, he keeps killing me, Drinking my blood, choking me, yelling at me, sometimes its him and Klaus together, but he always kills me and I wake up and think I'm dead. A few weeks ago, the night Damon showed me the letter that Stefan sent him, I had a really bad one. but instead of dying and waking up, that night I dreamt that Damon rescued me, and brought me here to my room and was protecting me. I know that Damon hurt you a lot before you turned Care, but lately he's one of the only people I trust. He's always there to save me. He promised me he always would be and I'm starting to believe him." Elena examined her friend's face for a response.

The blonde vampire didn't say anything, she just listened to Elena intently. Damon's ears had definitely perked up at the mention of his name, somehow forgetting his arousal for the more interesting opportunity to hear what Elena had to say about him. She continued to confide in Caroline.

"He doesn't want me to give Klaus what he wants. He's going to try to find a way to stop it from happening. I already know he's planning something crazy, I just don't know what, or how to stop him. He's going to get himself killed trying to save me from something I don't need saving from."

Caroline snorted, "Elena that's crazy, he can't stop an Original by himself, do you think he's that stupid?"

"I think he's that stupid when it comes to protecting me, yeah. You know what I caught him doing? I didn't tell him cause I kind of like it, but I noticed him sitting in that tree out my window every night for awhile now. I'm pretty sure he thinks I can't see him, and its only on nights where the moon is bright that I even noticed, but I swear he was there on the other nights too. Like at three in the morning. I think he's watching over me in case Klaus comes."

Damon was sweating bullets now, wondering if he was visible in the tree right this second. It was a dark night, he was dressed in black, and the moon was a sliver, but he figured if Caroline looked she would for sure see him sitting up in the tree, still kinda drunk, eavesdropping on their private conversation. It was too late to move now, if they looked out the window he was caught. He stayed as still as he could.

Caroline 's hands went to her chest in a dramatic gesture, "Oh my God Elena that's _so_ sweet! You know, its thanks to him that I'm here at all, so its kinda hard to hate the guy, but be careful with him Elena, he's... intense. I remembered the things he compelled me to forget when I became a vampire, and there's no doubt that he's amazing in bed, but he is _definitely_ a little kinky. I think he'd blow your socks off." She finished with a grin as Elena took a swing at her shoulder.

"_Caroline!_ I didn't even say anything about that, what are you talking about! All I said was he has been watching over me... where do you get kinky sex from that?" Elena's cheeks were about ten shades redder than usual. Damon could hear her heart beating frantically. He licked his lips, leaning forward a bit.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Oh don't give me that Elena, I wasn't born yesterday. I see the way you guys look at each other, are you really going to tell me there is nothing going on there? Not even since Stefan has been gone? I thought for sure you guys... you know..."

Elena blushed even harder, if possible. "Had sex?"

She nodded. "Well yeah, honestly I did. I thought maybe there was at least some drunken night you were going to tell me about one of these days."

Elena looked totally shocked at this. "Uhm, no, there is no story, there's nothing. I never even kissed him, unless you count the time when he got bit by Tyler and was all crazy with fever and stuff, but I don't think he even remembers that."

Damon most certainly remembered that, even if it was through a cloud of feverish confusion.

"Well you can't tell me you don't feel _something _for him, I wouldn't even believe you."

Elena paused, seemingly gathering her thoughts. When she spoke it was more serious. "I don't want to lose the friendship and trust I have with Damon. My humanity was obviously an issue for Stefan. I don't think human/vampire relationships are very practical, seeing as one partner is the other's food, and I definitely don't want to be a vampire, no offense Care."

"Oh I understand that, I'm going to be 17 for the next 400 years, all my family will grow old and die around me... but I'm dealing. Right now I'm ok with it, and after what I discovered with that guy I'm convinced that it doesn't have to be an eternity alone. I can share something amazing and connected and sexual with a human that is way better than anything I ever felt when I _was_ human. That's why I was wondering about you and Damon, I thought maybe we could talk about your experiences, you know, from the human point of view."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but there's nothing to say. The only time I ever tasted Damon's blood was when he forced it on me, and the only time he has tasted mine was when he was dying from Tyler's bite, which he told me he doesn't even remember. All of my experiences with that stuff have been horrible and painful mostly," Elena paused and a smile crept over her lips. "I still can't believe you thought we did stuff! I don't think of Damon like that Care, he's my friend."

The eavesdropping vampire grit his teeth at Elena's comment. It was like a slap in the face.

Caroline shook her head with a smile. "Elena you don't see what's right in front of you. Damon loves you, its _so_ obvious. When you're in the same room as him his eyes never leave you, you just told me you think he is watching over you, and you _dream_ about him _saving_ you. Come on Elena, are you blind?"

"All that stuff just means he cares about me, because I'm his friend, and I have no idea why I dreamt that."

"Okay, then tell me this. Are you attracted to Damon?"

"Well, yeah, I mean he's gorgeous, obviously... I think every woman is."

Damon smirked to himself at Elena's remark. Caroline was quickly gaining points in his book.

"Then what's stopping you from going for it?"

Elena sighed in annoyance. "Well he's Stefan's brother, for starters,"

"Oh that's not even a real reason Elena, you'll have to do better than that," Caroline chided.

"Look I don't know, I just don't want to go there, ok? I think there's a lot more to Damon than what I've seen. As much as I know and trust him, I haven't seen who he was the last century and a half. There is obviously so much more that I don't know about. You said it right before when you said he was 'intense,' and I can add in impulsive. He killed my brother right in front of me. He tortured you, bit you all over, compelled you to obey him, and that's only a few small things that I know about. When I learned about Stefan I didn't really know what I was getting into; I thought it was only animal blood. I had no idea about the rest and I didn't think about it. But Damon doesn't hide any of that. With there is no hiding anything. He is who he is and if you don't like it too bad. I don't know if I'm ready for all of that."

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?" Caroline raised a brow at Elena. "No bullshit. I would prefer that over lies and secrets."

"Maybe for once I don't want to be afraid I'm going to be attacked or killed by the person sleeping beside me at night Care, I mean I know he would never want to hurt me, but that doesn't mean it would never happen. Stefan said he would never hurt me and look how that turned out. I'm just... not ready."

Caroline stood up with a huff and put her hands on her hips. "Whatever Elena, I think you have it wrong. I'm hanging out in your room with you and you don't think I'm gonna hurt you, right? What's the difference? Damon's had like 145 years to practise control, I think you're full of crap. I'm going to get more wine and check how hammered Alaric is. I'll be back in a few minutes."

She got up from the bed and grabbed both wine glasses from the bedside table, breezing out of the room. Elena stared after her with a faraway look in her eyes.

Damon took this opportunity to sneak away into the dark and head back to the boarding house. He'd heard enough for one night.

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_**There you have it readers, chapter four!**_

_**I had a blast writing this one and I hope you all enjoyed reading it! Let me know by reviewing!**_


	5. Chapter Five

_**I wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed and subscribed to alerts for this story! Thank you so much! It feels great to know someone is actually reading this!**_

_**A little more Damon and Elena time in this chapter, since I've kept everyone waiting for so long! After watching this weeks episode I had a hard time to write anything else, that was the hottest Delena moment EVER on TVD! Fucking teasers, I bet they'll never do it again. They made us wait three seasons for that! I thought for SURE they were FINALLY gonna do it and then stupid Jeremy ruins everything (ok I love Jeremy and am glad he's back, but still, talk about bad timing!)! Anyways, thats enough ranting from me, enjoy!**_

_**As always, constructive criticism and any other comments are more than welcome!**_

_**Cricketsong.1985 **_

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**Darkly Dreaming Damon**

**Chapter Five**

After listening to Caroline and Elena's conversation Damon returned to the boarding house and quickly found his way into his good liquor stash. He'd been swilling back 16 year old single malt for awhile when he decided he needed to see Elena again. He couldn't get his mind off of her. He kept thinking about what she'd told Caroline earlier and had come to the conclusion that Elena didn't know what she wanted. She was afraid of getting hurt again, but not just by him – by anyone she let close to her. He refused to believe she was really afraid he would ever physically hurt her. That was absolute bull. However, he couldn't refute the evidence that he was impulsive and dangerous. He had killed Jeremy without thought, and had tortured Caroline just as easily. But for Elena to say she was afraid of him killing or hurting _her_? The very thought was hateful.

Coolness and dew enveloped everything as he returned to Elena's place in the wee hours of the morning. Damon climbed the tree beside her house until he could see into her dark room. He hopped easily from the tree to the building, then silently climbed into Elena's bedroom window, perching on the sill for only a moment before his feet landed silently on the carpet.

Her scent was everywhere in the room, immediately making his cock twitch. The steady thrumming of her heart was accompanied by the deep, slow sound of her breathing. He noticed she snored lightly and smirked to himself at this. She lay on her side, eyes closed, face peaceful with sleep. Damon wanted to crawl into that bed so much it was painful. Instead he took a seat on the floor and just watched Elena sleep for a few minutes, studying her face and gathering his thoughts. She was so beautiful, so inviting. He leaned in closer to her face until he could feel the heat of her on his cheeks and lips. His thoughts turned heated as he considered the sleeping girl before him. She would feel so wonderfully hot pressed naked against him, her lips would be so soft against his...

Damon leaned in and laid his lips on Elena's before he allowed himself to think about it a moment longer. He just couldn't stand it anymore, to hell with the consequences. It was only the tiniest brush of his lips against hers, but it was enough for him to feel the buzz of energy between them, and enough to send most of his blood into his dick, which immediately hardened. To his surprise, her eyes opened without warning. They bored into his in silence as he pulled back from her, his fingers coming up to touch his lips where they tingled from her heat. She didn't say anything. She just stared at him. He pulled back from her, still sitting on the floor leaning over the edge of her bed.

He opened his mouth with the hope that some kind of intelligible words would come out, but none did, so he closed it again. Elena scootched over to one side of her bed and patted the spot beside her over the covers. Damon felt his charm and smoothness melting away at her invitation, leaving him feeling like an awkward teenager. He crawled onto the bed and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. The thick leather of his jacket creaked as he folded one arm behind his head.

"You're freezing," Elena said after a few minutes of silence.

He snorted, "What do you expect? Its the middle of the night and its cold out there." He didn't dare look at her, instead keeping his eyes focussed upwards. He felt her slide closer to him in the bed. His dick was struggling against his jeans, her warmth and the beat of her heart driving him steadily insane.

He thought she was going to say something else, but instead she threw an arm over him and laid her head against his shoulder. His heart ached with frustration. How could she stand this! He wanted to do so many sinful things to her, but her heat so close to him and her arm over him seemed to arrest his movements altogether. He was unable to follow through with any of the actions his mind was screaming at him to make.

After a few more minutes of deafening silence he heard her breathing even out as sleep overtook her once more. This was more than he could take. This was torture. Why had he come here? What had he hoped to accomplish by visiting her in the middle of the night? Did he think that he could somehow make the conversation he'd witnessed disappear? Dissolve Elena's fears of him?

_She doesn't seem very afraid right now, _he thought_. _

He could not suppress a low growl in his chest as he considered this with irritation. He sat up in the bed, taking her hand to move her arm off of him. Her fingers were so warm and alive in his, but he knew he must be icy cold to her. No wonder he'd woken her – his lips were cold too. Because he was not alive, and he was only warm when he drank warm blood and when he absorbed heat from his surroundings. He could only suck the life out of her like a parasite, he couldn't give her anything. All he could deal was pain, fear, and death.

Damon angrily rose from the bed, intending on disappearing out the window. Her hand caught his and squeezed his palm, holding him back.

"Don't." She insisted quietly.

He pulled his hand out of hers, clenching it into a fist.

"I thought I was freezing," He shot back, inching towards the window.

"You smell like scotch too," she added, "But I don't mind. Why are you here?"

He shrugged, brows furrowing in displeasure. "I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"By kissing me?" she smiled knowingly.

Damnit why did she have to do that! The way her eyes glittered was agonizing to Damon, and it was making intelligible speech nearly hopeless.

"I didn't think you'd wake up," he supplied lamely, turning to step through the window.

"Damon, you don't have to go," Elena said, sitting up in bed. Even in the dark he could see her bare shoulders covered only by the thin straps of her white tank top. Her hair was tousled around her. The open window was letting in the cool night time air, and he saw her shiver slightly. Her nipples were hard beneath the tank top. She wasn't wearing a bra and they poked against her shirt teasingly. Damon was having a hard time finding a position that didn't hurt his throbbing dick as it pressed against his jeans.

He shook his head at her, trying not to stare at her chest. "Yes I do have to go, unless you're planning on putting some clothes on," He said, finally just looking at the floor. Elena laughed and pulled the blanket around herself.

_What the fuck, I'm here now, may as well stay and abuse myself for awhile, _Damon thought to himself and shrugged off his leather jacket, tossing it on the floor, kicking off his loafers and jumping on the unoccupied side of the bed. He turned onto his back and folded an arm behind his head like before. He bent his knees, crossing one over the other, the picture of relaxation. In reality he was hoping Elena wouldn't see the bulge in his pants. He allowed his gaze to meet hers and he forced a smirk, but said nothing.

"So how long were you out there tonight before you came inside my room?" Elena asked, putting a hand on his arm and rubbing a little warmth into it. "You feel like ice."

"Yeah we've established that," Damon answered sarcastically, "Its not like it matters to me, I don't even notice the cold."

"Do you notice the heat very much? Like when its hot in the summer?"

"Temperature is different for vampires. I notice temperature changes just like anyone would, but it doesn't matter if my body gets hot or cold. I do, however, prefer heat and warmth. It reminds me of being alive."

"You said that before too, that you like the heat." She paused, and Damon wondered if she was going to say something else. "So how long were you sitting in that tree outside my window tonight?" Elena returned to her earlier question.

Damon wondered for a moment if she had seen him earlier, when Caroline was over. Nah, she'd be all bitchy and mad if she knew he'd heard them talking privately. "What makes you think I was out there at all?" He queried.

Elena rolled her eyes at him. He could see her clearly, but he wondered how well she could see him in the darkness of her room. "I know this may come as a shock to you Damon, but I've noticed you out there before, on other nights. You sit in the tree and look in my window in the middle of the night. I never knew that you came inside sometimes too though," an imperceptible expression flashed over Elena's features before she looked questioningly at him.

"I never came inside before, just watched from the tree. I was worried that Klaus would come for you in the night," the vampire confessed.

"Then why did you come inside tonight?"

Damon swallowed thickly, feeling momentarily guilty for invading her privacy.

"To watch you sleep," he answered, unable to tear his eyes from her beautiful face. She didn't say anything, and the silence pressed in around Damon until he felt like it was choking him. "You snore, you know," he said finally with a teasing grin.

He got the response he was looking for – she glared and shoved his shoulder. "I do _not_ snore Damon!"

"Whatever Elena," Damon mocked, enunciating each syllable of her name and waggling his eyebrows at her. He uncrossed his knees, stretching his legs on the bed. "You totally snore." He knew this was what she wanted – him as a playful friend – its what she was comfortable with. He was doing everything in his power not to jump on her and devour every part of her gorgeous body with kisses, and she wasn't making it easy. She laid down beside him, apparently at ease now. He felt her heat and her scent roll through him, her heartbeat ever thumping in her chest. She was on her side, her head propped up on an elbow, only an inch away from him. His cock and balls ached with desire thanks to her taunting proximity and her damned beautiful eyes looking at him in the dark.

"Elena," he said, but his voice came out a low growl. Was she doing this on purpose? Was she trying to tease him? His balls were so blue they throbbed painfully. She was so close, fuck, why wasn't he supposed to touch her again? He was having trouble thinking straight, remembering his reasoning for not taking her in his arms. He was so turned on, he was sure she could see his pants sticking up where his cock was pressed rock hard against them. She shifted closer to him and he could hear her heartbeat accelerating, and was aware of her breaths coming faster. Her hand came to rest on his chest and he twitched at the contact, every nerve on high alert. He tried to move away from her, knowing he could not resist very much longer.

"Damon, I had this talk with Caroline tonight," Elena started, her body tensing slightly.

"About what?" he asked, her words enough of a distraction to keep him from acting on his thoughts.

"She told me about something that happened when she was feeding, something she said had never happened to her before."

Damon mentally swore, remembering how horny he'd been listening to Caroline talk about this earlier. He had no idea how he was going to get through hearing Elena talk about it. It was only the most arousing, erotic, sexual thing he could think of, coming from the lips he wanted to kiss most in the world...

"She said that when a vampire feeds from a human it doesn't always have to be painful, that it can feel good. She said that this person was willing, he wanted her to feed from him and that made it different." She looked at him with curiosity. "Is  
that true?"

With every word Damon felt his vampire instincts urge him to bite her and show her the truth, but he easily shut the blood lust down. He was less successful at controlling his sexual lust, and he moved closer to Elena, mirroring her position, one hand propping his head up. He laced the fingers of his free hand through hers. He was certain she could feel his hardened dick between them. Damon could feel her hot breaths on his chest and could smell the jasmine in her hair. He couldn't help smirking at her, playing with her fingers in his own. His voice had a predatory edge.

"Now why would you want to know something like that, Elena?" He heard her heartbeat suddenly kick into high gear and her eyes were wide. Apparently she'd just realized what she was doing to him.

"Uhm," she started, "I didn't know that it could be anything other than painful, but Caroline told me that it had been an... erotic experience."

Damon saw her cheeks darken as she blushed and felt her body tense against his, her heart thundering in her chest. That marked the end of his self control. He released her hand and used vampire speed to roll her over so that she was underneath him. He put a knee between her legs, looking into her startled eyes with hungry intensity. He felt her trembling beneath him, but she did not try to escape or ask him to stop.

"Are you saying you'd like to try that with me, Elena?" He asked carefully. He was unable to help himself, even though he knew that was not what she meant.

She stiffened beneath him. "No!" she said quickly. "No. I was just curious about it..."

Damon studied her for a moment, giving her a smile, even as he placed a light kiss on her throat. "I would never bite you unless you asked me to Elena, but if I did, it would feel fucking amazing," he said in a low growl, trailing another kiss higher on her throat, then another just below her ear. He felt a shiver run through her whole body as he flicked his tongue along the lobe. When he spoke again it was right beside her ear. "I would make it feel so good you would probably cum just from the bite," Damon purred into her ear, taking the delicate cartilage gently between his teeth as he nibbled along its edge. He felt Elena's body shudder and grow even warmer beneath him. She wriggled out of his mouth's reach and he laid some of his weight on her, his hard cock pressing into her thigh through their clothes.

Suddenly she was pushing him off of her and wrapping the blanket over herself, not meeting his eyes. "Damon we can't do this."

Damon had to take a breath and get himself under control before answering her. "Why not?" His voice was still thick with lust. His eyes flashed with frustration and need. He could not fully hide his disappointment that she was no longer pressed against him.

"I can't go through it all again, all the craziness, the blood. I'm not ready for that." Elena looked sadly at Damon.

"Elena it doesn't have to be like that, not ever. I have complete control over myself. I would _never_ hurt you." His eyes burned into hers in testament to his sincerity.

She nodded, "I know Damon."

He caught her eyes, drawing closer to her. "I mean it."

"I _know_ Damon, but I still can't." Damon saw a tiny hint of fear in her stare. He backed off, giving her some space as he put his shoes and leather jacket back on. He felt defeated and unimaginably sexually frustrated. Elena would surely drive him completely crazy someday.

When he was back in his jacket and loafers he returned to Elena's side and pulled her against him, kissing her cheek reverently. "Go back to sleep Elena," He said just above a whisper, holding her petite frame against his chest and kissing the top of her head. There was a bit of light in the sky now, softening the shadows around them.

She nodded and didn't hug him back or respond to his kisses in any way, except to pull the blanket tighter around herself. Without wasting another moment he was gone out the window, hopping easily to the dewy grass below and blurring off into the morning mist.

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**_And there you have it faithful readers, Chapter Five! Things got a little heated there for a minute, but looks like Elena's got cold feet! Can she ever learn to trust Damon? Is he going home to masterbate furiously in the shower? Keep reading to find out... _**

**_Let me know what you think by reviewing! Its the best way to help me improve my writing!_**

**_Cricketsong.1985_**


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